Medical equipment for high frequency chest wall oscillation (hfcwo) treatment

Abstract

Medical equipment ( 200 ) for High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) treatment configured to be worn on a thorax and arranged to apply repetitive compressions to the thorax, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of pressure devices ( 240 ) to apply the repetitive compressions and comprising each a deformable chamber ( 308 ) and at least a port ( 305, 306 ) in communication with the chamber ( 308 ) configured to let a pressurized fluid flowing alternatively in and out the chamber ( 308 ) so that the pressure device ( 240 ) alternatively passes from an inflated configuration to a deflated configuration, wherein the pressure device ( 240 ) comprises an impact face ( 311 ) configured to apply the repetitive compressions against the thorax and wherein the impact face ( 311 ) presents at least an elongation that extends along one main direction, the dimension (L) of the impact face ( 311 ) along the main direction being greater than three centimeters and being greater than 1.5 times the dimension (W) of the impact face ( 311 ) according to a direction perpendicular to said main direction.

1 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) for High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) treatment configured to be worn on a thorax and arranged to apply repetitive compressions to the thorax, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of pressure devices ( 240 ) to apply the repetitive compressions and comprising each a deformable chamber ( 8 ) and at least a port ( 305 ,  306 ) in communication with the chamber ( 308 ) configured to let a pressurized fluid flowing alternatively in and out the chamber ( 308 ) so that the pressure device ( 240 ) alternatively passes from an inflated configuration to a deflated configuration,
 wherein the pressure device ( 240 ) comprises a body ( 302 ) forming at least a part of the chamber ( 308 ), a head ( 303 ) configured to stroke the thorax during usage, and a base ( 304 ), the body ( 302 ) extending between the base ( 304 ) and the head ( 303 ) and comprising bellows ( 309 ) arranged for automatically decreasing the length of the body ( 302 ) and bringing the pressure device ( 240 ) back to its deflated configuration when the chamber ( 308 ) is not supplied with pressurized fluid,   and wherein the head of the pressure device ( 240 ) comprises an impact face ( 311 ) configured to apply the repetitive compressions against the thorax and wherein the impact face ( 311 ) presents at least an elongation that extends along one main direction, the medical equipment ( 200 ) being configured so that in use said one main direction is parallel to the spinal column, the dimension (L) of the impact face ( 311 ) along the main direction being greater than three centimeters and being greater than 1.5 times the dimension (W) of the impact face ( 311 ) according to a direction perpendicular to said main direction.   
     
     
         2 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to the preceding claim, configured so that in use the main direction is parallel to the spinal column. 
     
     
         3 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the impact face ( 311 ) is oval. 
     
     
         4 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dimension (L) of the main direction is greater than 2 times, and preferably comprised between 3 times and 5 times, the dimension (W) of the impact face ( 311 ) according to a direction perpendicular said main direction. 
     
     
         5 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dimension (L) of the main direction is comprised between 3 cm and 8 cm and wherein the dimension (W) of the impact face ( 311 ) according to a direction perpendicular said main direction is comprised between 1 cm and 4 cm. 
     
     
         6 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the impact face ( 311 ) is flat. 
     
     
         7 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the medical equipment and the elongated shape of the impact face ( 311 ) are configured so that the impact face ( 311 ) applies on at least two adjacent ribs whatever is the position of the pressure piston during the operation of the medical equipment. 
     
     
         8 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dimension (L) of the impact face ( 311 ), according to the main direction, is longer than the average distance (d) between two ribs adjacently disposed according to a direction parallel to the spinal column. 
     
     
         9 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the medical equipment also comprises at least a frame ( 220 ,  230 ) for holding the pressure devices substantially perpendicular to the thorax, an outer face ( 314 ) of the base ( 304 ) being in contact with an inner face ( 231 ) of the frame ( 220 ,  230 ), wherein at least some of the pressure devices are aligned, two consecutive pressure devices ( 240 ,  240 ) being connected together by at least two tubes ( 300 ,  300 ), the distance (D) between the inner face ( 231 ) of the frame ( 220 ,  230 ) and each tube ( 300 ,  300 ) connecting two consecutives pressure devices ( 240 ) and being inferior to 8 mm. 
     
     
         10 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to the preceding claim, wherein the medical equipment comprises at least a fastener that fastens the frame ( 220 ,  230 ) to at least one of the tubes ( 300 ,  300 ) and wherein the entire surface of the outer face ( 314 ) of the base is in contact with the inner face ( 231 ) of the frame ( 220 ,  230 ). 
     
     
         11 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein each pressure device ( 240 ) comprises at least one port for feeding the chamber ( 308 ) with pressurized fluid and at least one outlet port for allowing the pressurized fluid to evacuate the chamber ( 308 ) and wherein each port ( 305 ,  306 ) of the pressure device ( 240 ) is permanently open during operation. 
     
     
         12 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the frame ( 220 ,  230 ) comprises
 a plurality of support sub-frames ( 261 - 265 ) configured to accommodate and fix the positions of the plurality of pressure devices ( 240 ), the plurality of support sub-frames ( 261 - 265 ) forming strips configured to comply with a shape of the thorax, each strip extending along one main direction,   at least a binding support ( 251 ,  251 ′,  251 ″,  252 ) arranged to link at least two of the plurality of support sub-frames ( 261 - 265 ) so as to prevent the plurality of support sub-frames ( 261 - 265 ) from being twisted around their respective main direction.   
     
     
         13 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, comprising a shroud ( 511 ) comprising at least an elastic portion and configured to surround an outer face ( 232 ) of the frame ( 220 ,  230 ) so that it compresses the pressure devices ( 240 ) onto the thorax when the medical equipment is worn. 
     
     
         14 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the dimension (L) of the impact face ( 311 ) along the main direction is smaller than eight centimeters and preferably smaller than six centimeters and preferably smaller than five centimeters and preferably between 3 and 6 centimeters. 
     
     
         15 . Medical equipment ( 200 ) according to any one of the preceding claims, configured so that the elongation of the impact face ( 311 ) extends perpendicularly to the ribs of the thorax on which the head ( 303 ) applies. 
     
     
         16 . High Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation (HFCWO) system comprising a medical equipment according to any one of  claims 1  to  15  or comprising a pressure device ( 240 ) according to the previous claim and comprising means for delivering a pressurized fluid to the pressure device ( 240 ).